


How to Ruin a Perfectly Adequate One Night Stand in Ten Easy Steps

by parttimehuman



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Boys Kissing, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Forgiveness, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Making Up, Rimming, Smut, Strangers to Lovers, Two Night Stand AU, actually it's strangers to lovers to enemies to boyfriends or something like that, more like a little drama, they get arrested
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 16:04:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18944305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parttimehuman/pseuds/parttimehuman
Summary: The one night stand with Theo didn't exactly rock Liam's world or anything, but unforeseen circumstances force him to spend the day after at Theo's place too. A lot of time for do-overs and second chances. And to fall in love?Or: a Thiam Two Night Stand AU





	How to Ruin a Perfectly Adequate One Night Stand in Ten Easy Steps

**Author's Note:**

  * For [manonlemelon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/manonlemelon/gifts).



> Late as fuck but with lots of love. Happy belated birthday, Manon! 🎁🎈🎉💖

**Step 1: Fail at masturbation**

 

There are approximately one million reasons why living on your best friend’s couch sucks, but by far the worst of them, at least to Liam, and at least in his current state of absolute horniness, is the impossibility to have a good wank in peace. 

 

Every time Liam feels like he needs to release some pressure - and there’s a lot of pressure there - either Mason or his boyfriend Corey or both of them are home. Even at night, Liam doesn’t feel safe enough, because while he’s a master of staying quiet, Corey walks through the living room on his way to the kitchen for a late night snack or something to drink pretty much every single damn night. 

 

When both Mason and Corey leave the house for work, it’s way too early in the morning for Liam to do anything at all except lying in his temporary bed and sleeping like a baby. He can’t tell his body that now’s the time just because he’s on his own in the apartment. He’s not a machine. Liam has to be in the right mood or it doesn’t make sense to even try. 

 

Although Liam has nothing but time all day every day, seeing as he doesn’t exactly have a job, it takes him weeks until the apartment is deserted and he’s comfortably nestled into the cushions, his laptop open, some lube and a towel close at hand. 

 

The good thing about Liam’s level of desperation is, it doesn’t take much. He scrolls through the first page of suggested porn videos and clicks on the first best thing that doesn’t seem like it contains anything gross or disturbing, and as soon as smooth, naked skin appears on the screen and quiet moans sound through his headphones, Liam gets hard. 

 

It’s not the greatest video he’s ever seen, but he’s looking at two naked bodies he’d be ready to drop to his knees and part his lips for, and two minutes in, he can physically feel the shudders going through their bodies, and while the noises they make grow louder and louder, Liam yanks his sweatpants down, lets out a hiss as he touches himself and then throws his head back with his teeth buried in his lower lip while his fist pumps his cock with wild abandon, chasing an orgasm that’s going to come for him fast and hard. 

 

The only problem is, some deity Liam doesn’t believe in has decided that good things aren’t for him, and so he’s lying on the couch with this special kind of tingling working itself up his legs, back arched off of the cushion, mind ready to let go, and in that exact moment, the headphones preventing Liam from hearing it, Mason and Corey return home way sooner than anticipated, ruining the moment completely with their grimaces and their shocked yelling at him. 

 

Quite frankly, Liam should be the one yelling. He was so close, finally, after almost having lost all hope, but instead of letting off steam, instead of getting at least a tiny little bit of satisfaction, he now feels embarrassed and humiliated, and the worst part is, the traitorous headphones have failed him too, being yanked away and lying somewhere on the floor, which means that now the noises from the porn video are sounding through the apartment, loud and clear. 

 

Liam is pretty sure he wants to die. 

 

Because for some reason, neither Mason nor Corey get the idea to fucking turn around and leave him alone, or at least avert their eyes, Liam almost trips in the hurry to get his pants back up and the laptop shut. 

 

“Dude, no offence,” Mason says, and Liam decides to take offence before he even knows what’s following. “You need to get laid.” 

 

“Or, you know, move out,” Corey adds. 

 

Or new friends, Liam thinks. 

 

“No,” Mason insists, now talking to Corey more than to Liam, “he definitely needs to get laid. He needs to get his brains fucked out.” 

 

It’s what happens every time when they get to the topic of Liam being a failure at life; it turns into a discussion between Mason and Corey, and Liam feels like a child whose parents disagree what’s best for him, but also don’t consider asking him for his own opinion. 

 

“I’m taking a shower,” he sighs, not that he expects to be heard by either of his friends. 

 

Although Liam makes extra sure to lock the bathroom door, the mood is gone, his dick soft and sad, no matter how many times he pokes it. He hates to agree with Mason’s so condescendingly expressed opinion, but yes, Liam absolutely needs to get his brains fucked out. Preferably soon. 

  
  


**Step 2: Say hey jealousy**

 

In the end, Liam lets Mason and Corey convince him to go out together, mostly because they’ve been in a relationship for a hundred years at the very least and Liam can’t have them call him boring, and he can’t stay home while they go dancing. It simply wouldn’t make sense. It would be a definite defeat on his part, and he’s had enough of those. 

 

“ID, please,” a guy who weighs twice as much as Liam says, staring him down grimly. 

 

“Seriously?” Liam asks, because come the fuck on, in which world can Mason and Corey get into a night club without any difficulties whatsoever and Liam can’t? It can only be a joke, he’s sure. A cruel joke that he can’t laugh about at all. 

 

“Seriously,” the bouncer replies, unimpressed.

 

Liam checks all his pockets, but he knows himself better than to expect to actually find his ID card somewhere, because if Liam is one thing, then it’s a big fucking mess. 

 

“I’m twenty-four,” Liam murmurs, not really thinking that it helps his case. It’s ridiculous, really. He didn’t even want to come along, and now he’s standing outside of the damn club like an idiot while Mason and Corey are probably already sipping on a drink, wondering what’s taking him so long. In all honesty, out of the three of them, Liam isn’t the one with a baby face. He might not be very tall, sure, but apart from that, he looks pretty grown-up. He’s got references, but the bouncer he’s standing in front of stupidly fumbling with the pockets of his jeans is not convinced. 

 

“Liam?” A voice suddenly calls his name, female and definitely familiar, although it takes a moment to place it correctly. 

 

“Hayden!” Liam says, putting on the most terribly faked smile in human history. 

 

It’s the worst possible moment to run into his ex, his high school sweetheart. No, Liam doesn’t want her back. Sure, he was heartbroken after she left town, but it’s been years since then and Liam misses being in love more than he misses Hayden. Still, with the facts being that Liam is currently unemployed, homeless, single and being mistaken for a minor, and that Hayden is holding the hand of a woman who’s equally beautiful as she is herself, Liam knows he’s losing the exes game hard. 

 

“What are you doing here?” Liam asks. He’s not thrilled about making small talk, but everything’s good as long as it diverts from the topic of what  _ he  _ is doing. 

 

Hayden’s smile widens. “This is Gwen,” she says, pride resonating in her voice. “She’s my finacée.” Hayden raises their entwined hands and shows off a shiny little silver ring on her finger. “We came to Beacon Hills over the weekend to announce it to the family. Now we’re going to celebrate a little.” Hayden pulls Gwen closer and seriously, Liam has to admit that they look adorable together. Happy. Really, genuinely happy. 

 

“Congratulations,” he says, and there definitely is something real in his smile as he does, because Hayden deserves to marry the big, beautiful love of her life. Still, the words taste bitter on his tongue. Hayden is planning a wedding, and Liam? Liam doesn’t have a single thing sorted out for himself. 

 

“Well, I don’t want to keep you guys from celebrating,” he says. “It was nice seeing you. I wish all the best for you. Have fun.” 

 

He turns around and walks away. Maybe he just has to accept that life isn’t working out for him at the moment. Everyone is happy, and truly, Liam doesn’t wish for it to be any other way, but that doesn’t mean he has to watch them. He just wants to eat ice-cream in his underwear and maybe cry for a while. 

 

“Wait, aren’t you going in?” Hayden calls after him. Liam turns around. 

 

“Nah,” he shrugs, “I have other plans for tonight.” Like feeling sorry for himself and wallowing in his jealousy of all the happy couples he knows - just the usual Saturday night activities. 

 

Hayden gives him a funny look. She knows he doesn’t have other plans, and he knows that she knows. She’s happy and he’s not. She’s got an actual life and he doesn’t. She’s got something worth celebrating and Liam has only his misery. It’s the truth and it’s right there between them, but it doesn’t require commenting, so they say their goodbyes and each go about their night. 

 

By the time Liam falls back onto the couch that seems to be his only remaining friend, he feels tired although going outside for less than an hour is literally the only thing he’s done all day. 

  
  


**Step 3: Let a crop top be your weakness**

 

At some point, Liam has eaten all the ice-cream he was allowed to, and all the ice-cream he was explicitly forbidden to even touch. He’s watched Netflix, literally all of Netflix, the whole damn thing with every last one of its stupid shows and movies. His thumb is about to go numb from the endless scrolling through his phone without ever coming across anything even remotely new or exciting, and boredom is threatening to end Liam’s life. 

 

After being caught jerking off by Mason and Corey and then meeting Hayden and her gorgeous fiancée, Liam has - against all odds - reached a new level of desperation, which causes him to cave, take Mason’s endless and unwanted advice - Mason is never going to know about it - and download a dating app on his phone. 

 

Looking through one profile right after the other feels strange and somehow wrong, swiping through pictures. Liam lives in this town called Beacon Hills every day, and nobody ever seems particularly interested in him. Now he’s holding his phone in his hand and all of a sudden, he has the choice between countless men and women, which is a bit overwhelming, if he’s being honest. 

 

Liam doesn’t think he can trust anyone on the app, but he keeps scrolling and looking, can’t stop himself from wondering what it would be like to meet this or that person for real, what their voices would sound like, if he’d like them enough to hook up with them. Almost certain that he’s just looking, just being curious, Liam doesn’t plan to take any action. The incoming messages are too direct, too weird, too gross, and he ignores them all. “Can I call you Daddy?” A girl that looks like she might be twelve wants to know from him, and that’s when Liam decides that he’s done with the app. 

 

He’s about to close it when he’s attacked by what must be the most beautiful face he’s ever seen. Green eyes, brown hair, a smile to die for. Liam clicks on the dude’s profile and looks through all the pictures of him there are. Well, maybe  _ staring _ is the better word to use, since Liam soon enough finds himself unable to tear his eyes away, especially from the one picture of Chimera95 in a crop top, showing off a smile as bright as the sun itself, huge arm muscles, and a soft looking little tummy that makes Liam weak at the knees. 

 

In this moment of absolute weakness, Liam sends the pretty man a message saying hi, and granted, he doesn’t have to wait very long for a reply. The small talk is a little stiff, a little weird, but the guy who keeps texting Liam seems nice, and he even agrees to a quick video chat to prove he isn’t actually an axe murderer. 

 

“Tadaaaa!” The guy greets Liam, his face a little blurry on the laptop screen, but still insanely beautiful. “Do I pass the test?” He wants to know. “Are you going to come over here?” 

 

Liam is a little hesitant. Even if he says yes in the end, he shouldn’t appear all too eager, should he? 

 

“I’m not quite sure yet. Can you show me your place?” 

 

“What?” 

 

“Just show me a bit of your place. So I can see it’s not a deadened, dark basement or anything.”

 

“Just for the record,” the hot guy at the other end of the connection grins, “if I was planning to murder you, your great plan to expose me would totally fail.” 

 

“Wow,” Liam grumbles, “you’re really trying to sell this idea of me coming to see you, huh?” 

 

Honestly, he wants him to. He wants to be given a reason that’s good enough to justify a decision he’s probably going to make anyway. 

 

“So this is my living room,” the other guy says. Liam can’t exactly see much except a blur of light and furniture, but at least he doesn’t believe he’s looking at a torture dungeon. “Here’s the kitchen. Don’t look at the dishes I haven’t done the entire week, you’re not supposed to know about all my flaws just yet. And then… Hey, I probably shouldn’t let you into my bedroom like that, right? I mean,  _ you  _ could be an axe murderer just as well.” 

 

“I’m not,” Liam says, “promise.” 

 

“Well, I mean, if you  _ promise  _ it.” 

 

Yeah, Liam can see where that logic fails, but he doesn’t get much time to blush and be embarrassed. 

 

“So, should I text you my address?” Asks the hot guy, and god fucking damn it, if this absolute beauty of a man wants to hook up, Liam isn’t going to say no to him. 

 

“Do it,” he agrees. “I’ll be over in a bit.” 

 

And that’s how, for the first time in his life, Liam agrees to meet up with a stranger, to drive to the opposite end of Beacon Hills with the crappy car he can never afford to fill the tank of in the hopes of something, anything that comes at least close to sex finally happening to him. Oh, how low he’s sunk. 

  
  


**Step 4: Invent a new level of the walk of shame**

 

It must be the first time in forever that Liam wakes up at six in the morning. Usually, he’d be soundly asleep, but it smells kind of funny and his back hurts from the mattress he’s been lying on for a few hours by now, which is a miracle in itself, considering that he’s used to sleeping on a couch. By far the worst thing, though, is the loud and relentless snoring sounding through the room. 

 

As pretty as the guy next to him looks with messed up hair and long lashes throwing shadows over his cheekbones, the snoring ruins it completely. Liam decides to grab all his clothes, sneak out, delete the stupid dating app from his phone and never get himself into a one night stand ever again. 

 

It’s not that the sex was terrible - definitely not the worst he’s ever had - but it wasn’t good enough to make up for the discomfort and the long way home and the shame that he’s feeling now. Did he really drive all the way out here and get naked in front of this random guy just because he was lonely and incapable of taking care of his physical needs on his own? Did he really let this guy touch him and kiss him and fuck him? Did he really fall asleep next to him? 

 

Liam shakes his head as if to shake the thoughts out of it, which fails, of course. He lifts the blanket and almost winces at the sight of the bruises covering his thighs. There’s some sort of fetish going on with this weird guy next to him that he didn’t consent to. Gathering up the pieces of clothing he lost in the dark, Liam throws one last look at his lover of the night, just a quick one. What a dick, he thinks, and indeed, what a dick, but sadly not one that really knows what it’s doing. 

 

On the inside of the front door, Liam finds the same kind of magnetic letters in bright colors that he used to have at the door to his room as a kid. It kind of fits Theo, which seems to be the guy’s name that Liam hasn’t even thought about until just now. He pulls on his pants, slips in his shoes and sneaks out as quietly as possible, almost tripping on the stairs as he puts on his shirt on his way downstairs. One single try was all that it took and Liam is certain that he’s done with dating, or whatever else his adventure of the night can be called. 

 

The fresh air that hits his face when Liam exits the building comes as a relief. He takes a few deep breaths in and out, straightens his jacket, buries his hands in the pockets and then freezes. 

 

Oh. Shit. 

 

Liam’s got his phone, and he’s got his wallet. He even thinks he’s wearing everything he came in last night, but the damn car key is missing. Liam is standing on the sidewalk, his car not in sight yet, (he’d parked a few blocks away to avoid looking like an absolute loser in case his date would catch sight of it). 

 

Liam bites his lip and groans. He wants to punch something. When Mason and Corey said he needed to get laid, he knew immediately it wouldn’t be so easy, but didn’t see  _ this  _ mess coming. For roughly half an hour, Liam contemplates either walking home, which is ridiculous and out of the question, or just lying on the ground in the middle of the street until the next best car runs him over and ends his misery. 

 

Standing at the front door once again, Liam is pretty sure that death wouldn’t be so bad for him right about now. He lets out a frustrated growl and his head falls against the door with a thud. It hurts, but he deserves it. He presses the doorbell that has Theo’s last name on it, which is just as weird as everything else about the guy. 

 

Nothing happens. Liam can’t believe it. He waits for a minute and then rings the bell again, but still nothing. 

 

“Come on you lazy asshole,” Liam murmurs. “I know you’re home.” 

 

He wouldn’t be surprised if Theo simply couldn’t hear the doorbell over the sounds of his own snoring, but that doesn’t mean he’s giving up. Over and over again, without feeling sorry for even a second, Liam rings the damn doorbell and curses the stupid guy he had underwhelming sex with. All he wants is to go home and forget that any of it ever happened, and Theo is making him wait and suffer. 

 

Finally, after two million attempts at the very least, there’s a crack from the loudspeaker right next to the doorbell. “Yes?” Asks a low voice, clearly annoyed. Liam sighs in relief. 

 

“Hi. Uh, would be so kind as to let me in, maybe? I forgot my keys. They’re probably on your nightstand.” 

 

Liam hears a yawn that’s drawn into a barely comprehensible question. 

 

“Did you just ask who I am?” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“I don’t know, Theo, how many car keys do you have lying around on your nightstand? How many guys did you invite to your apartment last night?” 

 

“One,” Theo answers grumpily, “and I didn’t think he’d sneak out in the middle of the night. That’s pretty rude.” 

 

“Oh come on,” Liam huffs, “as if you wanted to see my face again by daylight.” 

 

“Maybe I did.” 

 

Liam balls his hands into fists. Why is this guy complaining about him leaving but at the same time not letting him in again? If you ask him, that makes zero sense, but Liam has a hunch that making zero sense is a running theme in Theo’s life. 

 

“Are you going to let me get my keys now?” 

 

“You woke me up, Liam. You interrupted my beauty sleep.” 

 

Liam can only roll his eyes. Theo has a lot of issues, but beauty isn’t one of them. Regardless of his many flaws, he looks like a model, and that’s just a fact. The face, the hair, the body… Liam has to stop thinking about him naked and get going. 

 

“Well yes, but only so I could leave. You can have unlimited sleep as soon as I’m gone.” 

 

“I really thought we’d spend more time together until you break my heart.” 

 

What a ridiculous fucking drama queen, Liam thinks. To Theo’s defense though, a window opens thirty seconds later, right above Liam’s head. He sees only a hand, and then his keys, falling. They land a little to his left, and Liam almost wants to yell a thank you, but the window is already closed, and anyway, now there’s dirt all over his keys, so he just shuts up and walks down the street to where he parked the car. 

 

Of course, since the day he had yesterday, and the night that followed, and the morning he’s currently trying to survive all haven’t been bad enough already, because the world is unfair and life sucks and neither unemployment nor homelessness is a big enough punishment for Liam, there’s another surprise waiting for him. 

 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” 

 

Liam is standing in front of his car, but there are three more cars, also standing in front of it, and behind it, blocking it from literally every direction. It’s been a while since Liam has keyed up someone’s vehicle out of spite, or say, smashed it with a baseball bat he might actually have in his trunk, but in this very moment, with his blood beginning to boil in his veins, he knows he wants to. 

 

Liam has officially had enough. He feels defeated, and when that happens, Liam gets angry. And when Liam gets angry, he loses control. He can feel his muscles cramping although he’s trying to stay relaxed, can feel his head throbbing all of a sudden, his vision changing slightly. He hates the damn IED, and he hates that a few harmless things gone wrong can trigger it so easily. He hates Theo and he hates himself, and he hates every owner of a car parked in the street, and he needs to call Mason. 

 

“Sorry man,” Mason replies after Liam has begged him to come pick him up. “You know Corey and I both have to work today. That’s why we were back home pretty much at midnight last night. Which you weren’t. What have you been up to? Please say you got yourself some dick.” 

 

Liam feels let down. It’s not Mason’s fault. He’s an adult and Mason is his friend, not his mom or his babysitter. Still, he doesn’t feel like he wants to tell Mason about Theo right now. 

 

“Believe me,” he says simply, “whatever you’re imagining right now, it was not that great. See you later. Bye.” 

 

“Love you, boo.” 

 

If Liam screams now and happens to wake up the entire neighborhood in the process, maybe he’ll find the assholes who have barricaded his car. He seriously thinks he could kick them in the head right now. 

 

Liam closes his eyes and breathes in. 

 

_ The sun.  _

 

He needs to relax. To stay in control. To find a way back home. 

 

_ The moon.  _

 

He’s going to be alright. Everything is going to be just fine. As long as mediocre sex and being stranded at the wrong end of Beacon Hills are his only problems, he’ll live. 

 

_ The truth.  _

 

Liam exhales deeply and unclenches his fists. Considering that Theo lives in this neighborhood, there’s a slight chance that he knows who the cars belong to. As much as Liam loathes the idea, he figures that going back to Theo’s and ringing the doorbell again is his best shot. 

 

“So you  _ do _ want to have breakfast after all, huh?” Is what Theo answers the door with this time. 

 

“No,” Liam informs him, but in the same moment, he catches the scent of bacon sizzling in a pan, and he kind of forgets what it is he really wants. 

 

“Come in,” Theo sighs. 

 

Liam can always take care of the issue with his car later. There’s no rush. After all, he doesn’t have a job or home or anybody at all who could be waiting for him. If anything, it’s only fair that Theo wants to make up for his awful snoring by offering Liam breakfast, and Liam wouldn’t want him to carry on with life without his forgiveness. 

 

“Fine,” Liam says, reluctantly, of course. “I accept your apology.” 

 

“The fuck am I sorry for?” 

 

“Where do I even begin…” 

 

Liam has barely set foot on the staircase when he hears a door falling shut somewhere upstairs. 

 

“Theo?”  

 

No Theo. No apology. No further mention of what’s for breakfast. 

 

Liam almost feels like he should give up. He can wait outside until his car is free again, or he can call an uber and get the car back another time. There’s definitely a solution that doesn’t require for him to climb the same stairs he stumbled down in a hurry just an hour or so earlier, not remembering exactly which door it was that Theo’s apartment was behind because he didn’t think he had to pay attention. 

 

There’s an old lady in a nightgown on the third floor who doesn’t appreciate being disturbed so early in the morning, and she doesn’t have bacon either. By the time Liam has made out the right apartment by process of elimination, his legs are aching from climbing stairs and his cheeks are tinted pink, half from exhaustion and half from the embarrassment that he’s truly about to knock on Theo’s door, asking to be let in for the third time since sneaking out. 

 

Liam wishes he’d gotten the good old-fashioned kind of walk of shame instead. 

  
  


**Step 5: Raid his fridge and flood his bathroom**

 

“I gotta admit, your cooking skills are surprisingly good,” Liam tells Theo as they’re sitting in the kitchen together, because a mouth full of food isn’t stopping him from making compliments. 

 

“Surprisingly?” Theo asks, one eyebrow raised. “You didn’t think I could cook?” 

 

Liam shrugs. “You’ll forgive me. I mean, it’s not like I know you. So far I’ve only witnessed you doing two things. Having sex with me and snoring.” 

 

“And?” Theo wants to know, and Liam has to give him credit for not trying to deny anything. 

 

“And nothing.”

 

“So, let me get this right. After your exclusive invitation to Theo world-” Theo makes a vague gesture around his apartment. “- and an unforgettable night with me, you’re telling me you had no reason to believe I could be good at anything?” 

 

“You’re making it sound like I was thinking about you,” Liam complains. “Which I wasn’t, so you don’t have to take it personally.” 

 

“You’re such a liar,” Theo laughs.

 

Liam feels a little bit offended by the fact that he’s not getting angry, but at least Theo agreed to making pancakes on top of the bacon and eggs, and now that he’s practically drunk on all the maple syrup Theo let him have, Liam can shrug it off. As if he cares what Theo thinks about him.

 

He doesn’t, and that’s where it’s at. It’ a convenience, because he doesn’t have to have a bad conscience for eating pretty much everything Theo has in his kitchen, and he doesn’t have to try and look graceful while he does so. When Theo makes a comment about whether Liam was raised by wolves, he flips him off and keeps chewing. 

 

“So, tell me about yourself, Liam,” Theo prompts with a big smile on his face. 

 

“Why?” 

 

“What do you mean, why? You’re sitting in my kitchen. We slept together, remember? Would it be so strange to talk a little?”

 

Liam shrugs. “Wasn’t this supposed to be a one night stand?” 

 

“So?” Theo seems a little amused. “Do you want me to pretend like I don’t remember your name, too? Would that make you happier?” 

 

“Kind of, yeah,” Liam admits. “Just in case you’re an axe murderer after all.” 

 

“Don’t you think I would have already killed you if I were an axe murderer? While you were sleeping soundly in my bed, for example. Or after you rang the bell for half an hour without interruption this morning, maybe. At the very latest when you implied you weren’t impressed with the sex we had.” 

 

Liam can only roll his eyes. This Theo is such a fucking drama queen. “When are you going to let that go? I didn’t complain about it, okay? It was… adequate.”

 

Theo’s jaw drops. He stares. Liam might have not used the best word to reassure him. 

 

“Adequate?” Theo repeats, very obviously unhappy. 

 

“Adequate is good,” Liam defends himself and his choice of words. “Adequate means you didn’t disappoint my expectations. I mean, it was a one time thing with a stranger after I hadn’t had sex in a while. I honestly just needed to get some dick in me. You did that, my needs were fulfilled, thank you very much.” 

 

“Wow,” Theo breathes out. Liam doesn’t know what else he wants from him. Is Theo seriously mad that their night isn’t turning into a whole romance now? They’re not in a damn rom-com. What the hell is wrong with this guy? 

 

Most importantly, why does the frown on Theo’s face and his sudden silence bother Liam? Why does he feel a little uncomfortable in Theo’s kitchen now? He should leave, he thinks, before he puts his foot in his mouth some more and makes this man feel completely awful. Liam remembers that he’d long be home if he could. Right, his stupid car has been barricaded by some stupid other cars because the stupid world sucks and nothing ever goes according to a stupid plan. 

 

“Where’s your bathroom again?” Liam wants to know. He needs to breathe for a moment without looking at Theo’s face, which is distracting him just a tiny little bit too much. 

 

“First door on the left,” Theo says, pointing at the hallway outside of the kitchen. There’s no eye-contact. No blinding smile. No smirk, no flirty comment. For some reason, Liam doesn’t feel so great about that. 

 

“Thanks,” he mumbles. 

 

Like the rest of Theo’s apartment, the bathroom isn’t particularly tidy. There’s so much stuff in there, and so much stuff that shouldn’t be in a bathroom. On the wall above the bathtub there’s a bookshelf filled with comic books. Liam can tell exactly which ones Theo has read the most. 

 

Curiosity gets the better of him and Liam decides to give both himself and Theo a little time before going back. He opens cupboards instead and looks around. The towels Theo owns look like they’re the ones he’s kept from his childhood, bright and colorful, with action heroes and cute little animals printed on them. He’s also got what seems to be a candy stash hidden in one corner of the same cupboard. There’s a Nintendo DS on top of the toilet tank and an iPod on the ledge of the bathtub. 

 

Liam has to smile to himself. What a child Theo is, he thinks in the one moment, and then, how much he’d love to just… Wait… Can he? Should he?

 

Liam is standing in front of the comic books, contemplating it. Some of them, he has never even seen before. His own collection is far away in the bedroom he used to live in at his parents’ house, but it’s not nearly as big as Theo’s, and since he can’t exactly leave anyway, why should he not just… seize the opportunity? 

 

Finally, fate seems to be on Liam’s side, and so he decides to take advantage. He plugs the bathtub and turns on the water, then continues to search Theo’s bathroom for everything else he needs. Something really amazing is about to come out of this whole dumb one night stand thing at last. 

 

“Liam?” Theo calls from the kitchen. “Are you still hungry?” 

 

Hungry is more a state of mind to Liam, so with one look at the bathtub that’s only just starting to fill with water, he opens the door and goes back to find out what Theo has to offer. 

 

“What do you say?” Theo asks. The big fat Theo-smile is back on his pretty face and honestly, he looks so much better like this. He’s holding at least three different kinds of ice-cream in his hands, and they’re not the cheap ones from the grocery store that Liam buys because he’s poor, they’re the good ones his parents only allowed him once a week when he was a kid. 

 

Liam reaches for his favorite sort but Theo pulls away, raising his arm until Liam would need to jump to get it, and he’s not going to actually jump for some ice-cream and make a complete and utter fool out of himself. He settles for the death-glare instead. 

 

“I have an idea,” Theo declares. “I’m not simply giving you my ice-cream.” 

 

Liam looks at him. They’re standing a little too close because of Liam’s attempt to take the ice-cream from him, and he makes the mistake of looking down at Theo’s lips instead of his eyes very briefly, but Theo does the same, or at least Liam thinks so, and then there’s a sudden tension between them. The next words Theo utters are barely above a whisper. 

 

“But I will… fight you for it.” 

 

“What?” 

 

Theo laughs. He turns away and tells Liam to follow him with a nod, leading him into the living room that Liam paid little to no attention to last night, but now he can see a ping-pong table right in its middle. Theo sets down all the ice-cream on top of it and picks up two paddles, handing one to Liam with one eyebrow raised. 

 

“You scared, Liam?” 

 

Liam doesn’t remember the last time he played ping-pong, so he should probably not rise to the challenge of a guy who’s got a table in his living room, but what can Liam do? He’s too stubborn to admit that he could be worse at it than Theo, and there’s ice-cream in it, so he does what needs to be done, takes the paddle, positions himself opposite of Theo and fakes complete confidence in his ping-pong skills. 

 

“You wish, Theo.” 

 

Theo laughs, but Liam doesn’t, and then Theo stops laughing too, and they’re both very much concentrated. 

 

“I know you’re sensitive,” Liam mutters, “but please don’t start crying when I crush you.” 

 

Unsurprisingly, the joke’s on Liam entirely. Not only does he lose more than clearly against Theo, but the other man actually drops down and rolls on the floor laughing, holding his belly and cracking up a little more every time he looks at Liam again. 

 

“Ha ha ha, very funny,” Liam says. “I’m bad at ping-pong, so what?” Out of revenge, he takes the ice-cream while Theo is busy pulling himself together on the floor and failing. 

 

“Dude,” he finally presses out between bursts of laughter, tears sitting in the corners of his pretty eyes, “I’m not laughing because you’re bad. You made it sound like you were the master of ping-pong. Do you realize how terrible  _ I  _ am at this? And how ridiculously easy it was for me to beat you?” 

 

“Fuck off,” Liam tells him, but the curse loses all sharpness because Liam can’t suppress the smile on his lips, because Theo is the biggest dork he’s ever known and it’s giving him fuzzy feelings inside his belly, and he finds it really hard to be mad about losing. 

 

“Fine, I’ll share my prize with you,” Theo smiles, watching as Liam is already halfway done with said prize. “But only because I like you.” 

 

Liam joins Theo on the carpet underneath the ping-pong table and they share the rest of the ice-cream. 

 

“You know, maybe your place is not the worst place in the world to be stranded at,” Liam confesses. Why his face decides to turn all red and hot as he says it, he has absolutely no idea. 

 

It’s actually quite nice to be sitting on the carpet with Theo. They finish the ice-cream and Theo shows Liam a sketchbook full of drawings of random things that look unexpectedly much like Theo has incredible talent. 

 

“Wait, are you like, an artist or something?” Liam asks, realizing that he doesn’t know what Theo does for a living. 

 

“Not really,” Theo shrugs. “I do some graphic design for an online magazine so I can afford taking art classes every once in a while. I think I want to be one when I grow up though. I don’t know.” 

 

Liam wants to tell him that his drawings look better than anything he’s ever seen. He wants to tell him that he’s wonderful, kinder to Liam that he has any reason to be, and beautiful, and crazy talented, and perfect, really, perfect in every single way. Liam kind of also wants to kiss him, if he’s being honest to himself, but then he thinks that maybe he’s been a little too unfriendly so far to suddenly attack Theo like that. 

 

“Can you draw me?” Liam asks instead. 

 

“I’m not very good with people,” Theo says. “Especially not faces. They’re difficult. There’s so much going on in them.” 

 

“Nonsense. You’re incredible. Plus, there’s not that much about my face you could draw any uglier, so just do it.” 

 

“Nonsense,” Theo mutters in reply, but he picks up his pencil, flips the pages in his sketchbook and starts drawing. “Look over there,” he tells Liam, directing his face with a gentle finger at Liam’s jaw. 

 

It’s silent, only Liam’s and Theo’s breathing and the scratching of the pencil over paper audible. It feels a little bit like the world outside of their hiding spot underneath the ping-pong table doesn’t exist anymore, and it doesn’t matter if Liam’s car is free now or not, because he doesn’t want to go. 

 

It’s hard not to look at Theo, because he really wants to. He wants to see what Theo looks like while concentrating, but he doesn’t dare steal glances, just keeps looking ahead where Theo pointed him, at the open door that leads out into the hallway, and then- 

 

“Oh. Fuck. Theo. Theo, fuck!” 

 

Theo looks up from his sketchbook. “What?” 

 

Liam hurries to get up, forgetting that there’s a damn table above his head, crashing his skull into it with full force and wincing, crawling out and walking over to where water is slowly filling the entire hallway. 

 

“I may have flooded your bathroom.” 

 

“You what?” 

 

“Look, I just wanted to run a bath, okay. You have so many cool comic books I don’t know yet. And such an inviting bathtub. So I thought, you know, since I was stuck here, I thought I might as well…” 

 

“Oh my god!” 

 

Now Theo is up on his feet as well, standing next to Liam, both of their socks being soaked in the water that’s coming from the bathroom door and slowly but surely spreading into every other room of the apartment as well. 

 

“Sorry,” Liam says, fully aware that his sorry means nothing. 

 

“You turn off the water, I try damage control, alright?” With that, Theo steers towards the bedroom, coming back with a bunch of bedsheets and towels as Liam comes out of the bathroom after turning off the water. He ruined pretty much everything in there.

 

“Don’t,” Theo tells him as Liam opens his mouth to make a good enough apology come out. “Just help me spread these so the water doesn’t ruin all the furniture.” He gives Liam half of the fabric he’s got in his arms and they both start covering the floor in it.

 

And here Liam was, thinking that his day - his life - had finally taken a more pleasant turn and everything was turning out alright after all. Now that he thinks about it, he should have seen the catastrophe coming. He definitely should have known it was too good to be true. 

  
  


**Step 6: Let him make you the accomplice to his crime**

 

“Stop apologizing already, or I’ll tie you up and gag you,” Theo says. “Maybe that would also solve the issue of you finding our sex disappointing, don’t you think?” 

 

“I didn’t say it was disappointing,” Liam replies. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I explicitly told you it did  _ not  _ disappoint.” 

 

“Still not convinced.”

 

“Will you ever be?”

 

“I don’t know, will you let me try again?” 

 

“I… what?” 

 

“Forget it, let’s just clean up the bathroom.” 

 

Liam agrees that it’s probably for the best to do that, but when they pull a soaked bedsheet away from in front of the bathroom door just to be hit with another wave of water, they just put it back where it was. 

 

“Yeah no,” Theo decides. “I think that should stay like that for a while longer.” 

 

“That’s kinda unfortunate though,” Liam points out, “because I think I need to use the toilet.”

 

“Just go outside.” 

 

“No.” 

 

“Oh come on, you can go behind the house, nobody’s going to see you there.” 

 

“That’s not… No. I can’t. I gotta. Oh jesus fucking christ, I need a proper toilet for this, okay?” 

 

And there go the last remaining bits of Liam’s dignity, not that there were many of them left. Theo looks at him, purses his lips and sighs. 

 

“Okay. So, um, my neighbors have a toilet.” 

 

“We can’t go to your neighbors’ though, what are we supposed to tell them?  _ Hi, I’m Liam, I slept with your neighbor Theo here and then accidentally ruined his entire bathroom. Could I take a shit in yours? _ ” 

 

“They’re on vacation, Liam.” 

 

“Oh. So you mean you have a key.” 

 

Theo nods. “Yeah. I mean, basically. Come with me.” 

 

“What do you mean, basically?” Liam wants to know, following Theo to the entrance door to his apartment. “Oh, and wait. If I’m going to use some strangers’ bathroom, I probably shouldn’t go in there like this.” Liam points at his socks and pants. Everything from the middle of his shin downwards is soaked and dripping. 

 

“You might have a point there,” Theo agrees, not looking much better himself. “I suggest we put on some fresh socks and pants before we go over there.” 

 

Five minutes later, they’re each in a pair of Theo’s sweatpants and fresh socks, ready to go and find Liam a toilet he can use. It feels weird to be wearing Theo’s slightly too long pants, weird but not unpleasant. Liam likes it, he thinks as he stands behind Theo in front of the door to the neighbors’ place, his body clearly telling him not to waste any more time. 

 

“What’s taking so lo- Theo! What are you doing? That is definitely not a key!” 

 

“Will you shut up?” Theo whisper-shouts back at him. “It’s not like anyone’s gonna know we were in there. They’re on vacation. Unless you want to let the entire building know.” 

 

“I’m not breaking in anywhere just to use the bathroom,” Liam says decidedly. “Are you crazy?” 

 

“I don’t know, would you like me to dig you a hole in the backyard instead?” 

 

Liam doesn’t answer. He really needs a toilet. Badly. And quickly. 

 

“I can’t believe you’re making me the accomplice to your crime,” he mumbles. 

 

They hear a click and the door opens. Theo offers a grin and Liam pushes past him. At this point, he doesn’t really care anymore. 

 

“There wouldn’t be a crime if you hadn’t flooded my bathroom, Liam.” 

 

“Or if I could have left this morning, like I wanted to,” Liam replies, but regrets it immediately. He wanted to leave indeed, but now? He isn’t entirely unhappy that he had to stay. Theo is making it hard to be unhappy about it. 

 

“Are you just going to stand there?” Liam isn’t going to be able to wait until Theo leaves his spot in front of the bathroom door. He can see his shadow through the gap between the door and the tiles on the floor, and he thinks that it’s a little too early in their relationship for Theo to stay where he is now. 

 

“I don’t know, do you want me to get you a drink or some snacks?” Theo asks back. 

 

“You’re an asshole, Theo. You could wait in your apartment. I’ll be back in a bit.” 

 

“I think I like it here,” Theo says. Through the door, Liam can hear the shit-eating grin that’s currently on his face, and he can also tell when Theo slides down and sits with his back leaned against it. So he’s not going to be left in peace for this, great. 

  
  


**Step 7: Give second chances**

 

“Think about it though,” Theo insists.

 

They’re back in Theo’s living room, sitting on the couch this time. It felt surprisingly okay to talk to Theo about everything and nothing during their little trip, and now talking to Theo might have become Liam’s favorite thing to do. 

 

“Think about what?” 

 

“Us,” Theo says. “Trying again.” 

 

“God, Theo, I didn’t mean it that way, okay? You weren’t bad or anything. Just forget I said anything at all, okay.” 

 

“I’m serious,” Theo says. He shifts so that he’s turned towards Liam, their knees touching. Liam can’t help but take in all of his beauty. The hair that looks perfect and at the same time like Theo doesn’t even have to try for it to do that. The scruffy beard, the pink lips. Something about sweatpants makes him weak, too, and honestly, who even gave Theo permission to look this good? 

 

“Trial and error, Liam. It’s the best way to learn. We tried, apparently I didn’t rock your world or anything, but we can change that, right? We can analyze what went wrong the first time and do better. Who better to do that with than a one night stand, Liam?”

 

Liam knows he’s repeating himself as he says, “You’re not serious.” 

 

“Of course I am! This is a great opportunity. I mean, how many times have you had not so great sex? And how many times did the other person tell you why that was? Now we can do better. We tell each other everything we think that could be improved, and then we have sex again.”

 

First, Liam didn’t think that he wanted to have sex with Theo again. Now, he doesn’t think that he wants it to be like this. An experiment. Okay, maybe they did get off on the wrong foot, but now he thinks that he might really like Theo. He’s not going to be the one who tells Theo how to give it to the next guy to come along after him. 

 

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea, Theo.” 

 

“Personally, I think that it’s a great idea. We can go again until we get it right. We can try everything out. We just have to communicate. You tell me what you like and what you don’t, I’ll do the same. We just have to be honest.” 

 

Liam thinks about the two of them having sex all day long, doing it again and again until they know everything the other likes. He needs to stop. He needs to stop thinking about it. His pants are already getting tighter. 

 

“And you think that works?” 

  
“I mean, what could go wrong?” Theo asks back. 

 

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Liam has the thought that his heart might be on the line, but of course, he can’t say that. Suddenly, when he thinks about being touched by Theo again, being kissed, he feels a wanton need inside him, and although his brain is warning him that it’s a terrible idea, with Theo’s eyes boring into his own, he can’t say no. He can’t say it because he doesn’t want to say it. 

 

“Okay, but you go first. What are the things you’d want me to change?” 

 

Theo nods, clearly satisfied, then puts on a serious expression. “Okay, so, I don’t really have a lot of notes, because I actually think that you were pretty amazing.”

 

Liam blushes and stares at his hands. They’ve seen each other naked, for god’s sake, why the hell is he blushing now? 

 

“I think you could relax a little more, you know. Let go a little. You seemed a little held back. I could barely hear you.” 

 

“So you’d like me to be louder?” 

 

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t know. Don’t you like it when the other person makes some noise during sex? You don’t have to scream my name or anything. I’d just like to hear it when you like something. Oh, and you can talk to me.” 

 

“You mean like, dirty talk?” 

 

“Yeah. Whatever comes to your mind in that moment. Just let it out. It’s hot.” 

 

Liam nods. “Noted,” he says. He supposes he can do what Theo wants from him, and the critique hasn’t been completely disheartening so far. “Anything else?” 

 

Theo shrugs his shoulders. “Not that I can think of right now, no. What about you?” 

 

The question is harder to answer than Liam anticipated. He can’t be too harsh, or else Theo will just throw him out and not sleep with him - let alone talk to him - ever again. But then again, Theo was the one who wanted them to be honest with each other. 

 

“Brutally honest?” Liam asks. 

 

Theo nods. “Brutally honest.” 

 

“Okay.” Liam has to avert his eyes and look somewhere else. He can’t believe he’s doing this. “So, I don’t know, I don’t necessarily think I want to be fucked for two hours. I mean, not that your dick didn’t feel great inside me, but it’s-” Liam stops and sighs. He’s really bad at this. How is Theo not already mad at him? Instead, Theo is sitting still and listening, all of his attention clearly focused on what Liam has to say. 

 

“So, ideally, I’d be really really turned on already when you put it in and then you’d just finish me off like that.” 

 

“Okay,” Theo says, “so what do you want me to do to you before that, then?” 

 

“Honestly, pretty much anything. Just touch me. Kiss me. Just put your hands and your mouth on me, because you were actually pretty good at that. But don’t be impatient. Wait until I’m begging you to fuck me. And then do it.” 

 

“I’m pretty sure I can do that.” 

 

“Oh, Theo, one more thing.” 

 

“Yeah?”

 

“This may sound stupid, but maybe kiss me when you fuck me?” 

 

Theo smiles and moves closer, cupping Liam’s cheek with one hand and pulling at his shirt with the other until their lips meet and they kiss. He likes how Theo kisses, how there a soft, almost chaste little pecks against his lips in between proper kisses, passionate, with Theo’s tongue sliding between his lips and exploring him. He likes how Theo isn’t afraid to nibble a little, to bite. Liam sighs and pulls him closer, guiding Theo’s hand from his shirt to his waist where it can move beneath the fabric. 

 

“Should we, uh, go to the bedroom?” Theo asks. 

 

“I don’t know,” Liam answers. “You decide. Don’t ask me about irrelevant details like that. Just do what you want. You’re crazy strong, and it’s hot if you show me who’s in charge.” 

 

Theo grins and the next thing Liam knows, he’s being picked up and swung over Theo’s shoulder. Theo smacks his ass as he carries him to the bedroom. “Better?” He asks. 

 

“Better,” Liam replies. He can feel a faint burning where Theo’s hand just came down on his ass and it’s making him squirm. 

 

Theo lies him down on top of the bed carefully and then leans over him, pinning his arms down as he kisses Liam, making him chase Theo’s lips as he pulls back a little. For a while, the teasing works, but then Liam has another thought. 

 

“Wait. Here’s another thing. You should change the sheets.”

 

“What?” Theo asks, looking dumbfounded. “Now?” 

 

“Yes. Generally whenever you expect someone to come over for sex, I think, but now too, definitely. Nothing compares to lying in fresh sheets.” 

 

“You’re not seriously making me get off of you now and change the sheets, are you?” Theo complains. 

 

“I’ll help you. We’ll be good to go in two minutes. You wanted to do this, remember?” 

 

“Fine,” Theo grumbles, reluctantly pulling himself away. They work together and indeed, it doesn’t take more than a moment until Liam falls back onto the bed with a happy sigh, gesturing for Theo to join him. 

 

“See?” He mumbles against the skin of Theo’s neck. Theo doesn’t see, he just kisses Liam’s neck, moving his lips up and down along it, sucking lightly and teasing him carefully with his teeth. 

 

Liam decides not to hold in the moan that wants out of him and Theo seems to be encouraged by it, sucking a little harder and making Liam moan again, his hands pulling Theo’s shirt up and over his head because he craves to feel the other man’s incredible muscles under his fingers all of a sudden. 

 

When lust overwhelms him, Liam rolls them around and gets on top of Theo, which Theo lets him do, but only until he decides to reverse their positions again, straddling Liam with those thick thighs of his. Somehow, the exact same thing felt entirely different last night, much more like the loss of control was something to be a little scared by instead of turned on. Or maybe Liam just wasn’t ready to give in to the random stranger Theo was then. Now, as he looks up at him he only sees perfection in human form. Is it possible that Theo’s idea wasn’t so terrible after all? 

 

Liam fights against Theo’s arms pinning him down, arches his back and grinds his hips against Theo’s crotch, both of them making desperate little noises when their clothed dicks rub together. It’s just the faintest bit of fraction, not nearly enough to give either of them satisfaction, only enough to leave them wanting.

 

Theo’s forehead is pressed against Liam’s and their breaths are mixing as Liam continues to chase Theo’s body contact with his restless hips. They know neither of them is going to be able to take it much longer, but Liam can’t keep still either. This time, he’s not telling himself he needs this to release some pressure and move on with his life in the morning. This time, he isn’t even thinking about the next morning to come. He’s far too caught up in the moment and Theo’s proximity. 

 

Quiet whimpers turn into dragged out whines. Both Liam and Theo become desperate for more skin on skin contact, more friction, better access. Liam strains his neck and presses kisses to Theo’s jaw, feeling the beard tickling and scratching against his lips and face, moving on to the softness of Theo’s neck, gently kissing at first, giving a first experimental suck that practically has Theo squirming on top of him. Encouraged by the reaction, Liam sucks harder on his skin, content to leave behind bruises and bitemarks.

 

Curses fall from Theo’s lip and hot against Liam’s skin. He’s got this god of a human person on top of him, looking all perfect with those muscles of his and all the smooth skin and the flawless hair and the blinding smile, and even from underneath him, Liam has the power to drive him a little crazy. That feeling compares to absolutely nothing else in the world. Liam feels like he’s high on it, unable to stop himself from attacking every inch of Theo he can reach with his mouth, taking him apart until Theo rolls off of him, releases is pinned down wrists and tells him to get undressed with flushed cheeks and a heaving and sinking chest. 

 

Liam scrambles to obey. God knows he wants his pants to be gone just as badly as Theo does, but Theo stops him with a hand on his arm and a soft chuckle. 

 

“Care for another tiny little note?” Theo asks.

 

“Sure,” Liam replies, although he’s a little surprised by the interruption. So far the observations have been pretty useful though, so he guesses he should take it. 

 

“So when you take your clothes off, maybe don’t just throw them away as quickly as possible. I mean, not that I don’t want to see you naked as soon as possible, but maybe you could… I don’t know, tease me a little?”

 

Theo is biting his lip as he looks up at Liam, green eyes pleading with him. 

 

“Oh,” Liam makes. “Oh, you mean… Yeah, I guess. I think I can do that.” 

 

Liam hasn’t exactly done it before. A voice in his head tells him he looks utterly ridiculous, but something about the silent tension, about Theo’s eyes on him, watching every move he makes, about the little gasps that escape his lips at the sight of just a little bit of skin, something about those things makes him want to do it, makes him want to be good at it. 

 

Liam stands on the carpet in front of Theo’s bed, spreading his legs a bit, swaying his hips. He lets his hands roam across his upper body, fingers tugging at the hem of his shirt, pulling it up a little until his stomach is exposed, then letting it fall down over it again. Theo follows every twitch of a muscle and every graze of a finger with hungry eyes, licking and biting his lips, one hand reaching down for the bulge in his own pants soon enough. Liam might not be an expert in the striptease department, but the results speak for themselves. 

 

As slowly as his nerves allow him to, Liam finally drags his shirt up along his sides, pulling it off over his head and letting it drop to the floor with a coy smile. Theo’s lips are shiny wet and slightly parted, his gaze seems to be glued to the patch of hair on Liam’s chest. Liam briefly wonders if Theo was such a fan of his chest hair last night, and if so, how in the hell he managed not to notice it. 

 

It feels pretty damn amazing, to be watched by someone as hot as Theo this way - like Liam is the most beautiful and desirable thing in the whole world. It’s not even about the hand palming at Theo’s dick, but about the expression on his face, full of awe and fascination. 

 

Liam didn’t know that he had any of this in him before, but now he feels pretty much invincible. He turns around and sticks his ass out, running both hands over it, letting Theo watch but not touch. This way, he can’t see him, but he can hear the gasp when Liam pulls the sweatpants Theo has lent him down just far enough for the upper third of his fuzzy butt to be exposed to Theo’s eyes.  

 

As much fun as it is to pull his pants up again before pulling them down and torturing Theo, listening to his reactions, Liam feels the tension just as much as Theo does. He’s incredibly hard, and now that he’s as good as naked, the temptation to touch himself is strong. Still facing away from Theo, he cups his aching cock with a hand, kicks the sweats and socks away and rubs himself just a little, just until the wet tip of his dick is pushed against his wrist and he throws his head back with a moan. 

 

In Liam’s ears, loud and clearly uncontrolled moans like that have always sounded a little embarrassing, but now it’s making Theo jump off of his bed, throwing all his remaining clothes away and wrapping his arms around Liam from behind, kissing his neck and trying to touch him everywhere at once. There’s no shame in it, it’s just an expression of how turned on he is, of how right everything they’re doing feels. Liam doesn’t think he wants to hold back anymore. 

 

Turning around in Theo’s arms, he grabs Theo’s face and kisses him. Their tongues and teeth clash, their dicks once again rub together, except this time there are no unnecessary layers of clothing between them. It’s just soft, hot skin and a little wetness, eliciting hisses and throaty moans from both of them. 

 

The muscles in Theo’s arms harden beneath Liam’s fingers and a second later he’s being picked up from the floor, Theo’s big hands holding his thighs. He wraps his legs around Theo’s waist and Theo has to tilt his head up to kiss him now. With the different angle, the torture of their dicks being pressed together, caged between their bodies just becomes sweeter. Although Liam isn’t exactly tall, he isn’t a light-weight either, but Theo has no trouble holding him in his arms and carrying him back to bed without interrupting their kisses. 

 

They fall down with Liam on top of Theo and Theo’s hands moving up from his thighs to his ass, grabbing it, squeezing and rubbing and digging his fingernails into the skin, spreading the cheeks apart, making Liam desperate to be touched between them. Why did he think it was a good idea to tell Theo to make him beg for it first? It seems crazy now that he’s achingly hard and leaking pre-come like being with Theo is one single never-ending orgasm.

 

The only solution Liam sees right now is to make Theo equally desperate, so he tears his lips away and moves them down Theo’s body, nibbling at the side of his neck where a couple of little bruises are prettily blooming already, kissing his way down across Theo’s strong chest, licking both nipples, feeling Theo’s grip tightening in his hair as he carefully bites down on one of them. Fuck. He could spend the rest of his life giving Theo pleasure. 

 

Theo’s back lifts off of the bed as Liam drags his lips down his belly, following the narrow trail of hair from his navel down. Liam can’t wait to see and hear Theo when he takes his cock all the way down his throat, but he wills himself patient, letting it rest against Theo’s stomach where pre-come is forming a little wet patch. Instead, he moves further down and sucks one of Theo’s balls into his mouth, closing his lips around it and swirling his tongue. 

 

“Ah, fuck!” Theo curses, staring down at him. Liam can’t hold back the smug smile that spreads his lips apart. He lets go only to do the same thing to the other of Theo’s balls, teasing with the tip of his tongue a little before he closes his lips around it and sucks it into his mouth. His plan to push Theo near to the edge seems to be working beautifully.

 

“Liam, oh my god. Liam!” 

 

Theo’s inability to keep his mouth shut gives Liam everything he needs. He kind of likes the way his own name sounds when it comes out of Theo’s pretty mouth in a moan. He licks Theo’s cock wet with his tongue, lapping at the tip and tasting him, making sure the rambling never stops, which it doesn’t. It only turns breathless as Liam takes Theo into his mouth, and at the same time louder, more and more out of control as Liam bobs his head, sucking, taking Theo one inch deeper at a time until he can feel him at the back of his throat and tears burn in the corners of his eyes. 

 

It’s right on the verge to being too much, but Theo is a sobbing mess now and it’s all because of Liam. The fingers tugging at his hair and the low voice cracking and breaking are making him weak to resist and strong to ruin Theo. Liam doesn’t want to stop, he only wants to keep pushing. 

 

All of Theo’s ways of telling Liam how good his mouth feels on him narrow down to the word “fuck”, muttered and moaned and breathed out over and over again like a prayer. Liam can’t get enough of it. He bobs his head as fast as he can manage, then pushes Theo’s cock down his throat, all the way down until his nose is pressed against Theo’s soft skin and he can barely breathe, keeping still for a moment, feeling Theo pulsating. 

 

“Fuck, Liam, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.” 

 

Liam wants to know what that last fuck sounds like so badly he almost forgets his own pleasure, but Theo doesn’t. He pulls Liam off of him, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him up, kissing him like he’s starving for the taste that is now on Liam’s tongue. Liam moans inside Theo’s mouth and then he’s suddenly being spun around. 

 

Theo’s body is pressed against his back, a big, spit-slick cock pushing between the cheeks of his ass. Liam can’t remember ever wanting to be fucked so badly. 

 

“Please,” he begs, hoping that Theo understands how urgent it is, how absolutely unable to wait any longer Liam is. 

 

“I like the way you say please,” Theo whispers into his ear, “say it again.” 

 

“Fuck, Theo. Please, okay? Please.” 

 

It sounds dirty and desperate and like Liam would have despised saying it in literally any other situation than the current one, where Theo’s presence and the prospect of getting his brains fucked out make it more than okay, where Liam is ready to beg some more if only Theo will put his dick inside him. 

 

Theo chuckles against Liam’s neck and puts a hand between his shoulder blades, gently pushing him down until Liam’s head rests on his forearms on the bed and his ass is up in the air with Theo rubbing himself all over it. 

 

“Not like I can say no to you,” Theo mumbles. 

 

Liam gasps when a big hand smacks his ass once again, and another time when Theo’s tongue licks over his hole all of a sudden. 

 

“Oh my god,” he groans before biting into the back of his hand. If Theo starts eating his ass now, he’s not going to make it. 

 

Theo spreads Liam’s ass with both hands and dives right in, licking Liam wet before he starts sucking lightly. Now Liam understands Theo’s need to make noises completely. With Theo’s beard scratching at the sensitive skin between his asscheeks and a tongue carefully pushing inside him, there’s no possible way to keep quiet, whether he bites his own hand or not. 

 

Not only does Theo cause the sounds Liam makes, but he also pays attention to them, repeating the same thing when Liam moans extra loudly, letting Liam tell him exactly how he wants it without any words being spoken. 

 

It doesn’t take long until Liam is rubbing his face all over the sheets, writhing beneath Theo’s hand that’s holding him down. He feels fantastic. Theo’s mouth on him feels fantastic, fucking him with his tongue, stretching him open without ever being enough. It’s hard to form words in Liam’s state, but he has to. 

 

“Please,” he presses out. If Theo doesn’t relent, he might cry. “Theo.”

 

God only knows where the lube comes from, but Liam doesn’t care anyway. He only cares about the fingers pushing inside him, finally coming a little closer to what he needs, but still not close enough. Theo is careful to prepare him thoroughly, stopping to add more lube, moving his fingers all the way in and all the way out, scissoring them and driving Liam wild. 

 

“Fuck me,” Liam begs, because “please” won’t do anymore. He doesn’t just want  _ something _ , he wants to be fucked. He wants Theo’s cock inside his ass, wants to be rammed into the mattress, wants it fast and hard until he explodes. He needs it. Needs it more than he remembers ever needing anything. 

 

“Theo. Now. Fuck me.” 

 

Liam can do nothing but breathe and writhe while listening to the package of a condom being torn open. Relief floods him when Theo’s hands are back on him, and something entirely else when finally,  _ fucking finally,  _ the wide head of his cock catches on Liam’s rim and everything hurts in the best of ways and Liam’s next exhale turns into a moan that all of Theo’s neighbors can probably hear. 

 

“Fuck,” Theo groans. “Fuck. So good. So tight. This is not gonna last long.” 

 

“Good,” Liam tries to reply. He doesn’t know whether the thought makes it out in comprehensible words. “Make it fast and hard then.” 

 

Theo sinks down inside him and Liam can barely hold it together. He’s so full. Theo’s dick inside him feels the fucking best he’s ever felt, and then it starts moving, slowly at first and then with more force, Theo’s body pushing against him over and over, every hard, purposeful thrust taking him apart and building him anew. Liam grabs his own cock. He’s so close. So. Fucking. Close. 

 

“Not yet,” Theo mutters. All of a sudden, he pulls out and turns Liam on his back, picking up his legs and spreading them apart, leaning down between them and pushing back inside him. A slightly sweaty Theo moving on top of him erratically is with absolute certainty the best thing Liam has ever seen. Flushed cheeks and lips parted for the sounds of his pleasure, hair sticking  to his forehead, his hips snapping forward without a rhythm. Fuck, having sex with him again was the best idea ever. 

 

Theo leans forward and covers Liam with his body. His movements become smaller, but faster and harder at the same time, pushing Liam to his orgasm inch by inch. Liam’s moans are cut off by Theo’s lips pressing on his own, kissing him senseless. Everything that Liam needs right now is to let go. 

 

He wants to warn Theo, but all that comes out is a dragged out “mmmhmm”. Theo gets it anyway. He pushes his tongue inside Liam’s mouth and gives it a few last hard thrusts, hitting Liam’s prostate with every one of them. Liam bites Theo’s tongue as he comes, his release sticking to both his and Theo’s chest and stomach. He shoots a little more of it as Theo eases out of him.

 

Theo throws the condom away and pumps his cock until it’s milked empty. They kiss as both their release mixes on their skin, Liam’s legs wrapped around Theo’s waist and Theo’s hand gently cupping Liam’s face. They catch their breath entangled in each other, hearts slowly calming down, grins spreading on their lips whenever they look at each other despite their exhaustion. 

 

“You still think having sex again was a bad idea?” Theo asks teasingly, knowing full well that Liam doesn’t. 

 

Liam rolls his eyes and kisses Theo’s cheek. “Obviously not.” 

 

Theo pulls him closer and kisses him properly. Liam wants to kiss Theo and nobody else for the rest of his life. 

 

After a short nap, Liam changes Theo’s sheets again and they use two sets of used sheets to soak up the water on the bathroom floor. Theo drags Liam under the shower where they clean each other first, rubbing body wash into the other’s skin and making silly hairstyles while shampooing their hair. Sharing such a small space while being naked eventually leads to Liam being pinned against the shower wall and Theo sucking his dick. 

 

Because the whole thing where they tell each other exactly what they want and then try their best to give the other that works so beautifully, they do it again on the kitchen table and then later on Theo’s couch. Theo orders pizza after that and they eat naked, contently snuggling up against each other when they’re done eating, staying that way until it’s gone dark outside and Liam starts to freeze in spite of Theo’s body warmth. 

 

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to borrow some more clothes from you,” Liam says as he gets up. 

 

He knows Theo’s reply comes late because he’s busy staring at Liam’s butt as he walks away from him and towards the bedroom. 

 

“I think I kind of like seeing you in my clothes.” 

 

Liam can see himself grinning like an idiot in the mirror next to the wardrobe in Theo’s bedroom. He feels crazy now thinking about how he wanted nothing but to leave as quickly as possible after waking up next to Theo. Maybe it’s not entirely stupid to give second chances every once in a while. 

 

Liam opens the wardrobe. If he can find one, he’s definitely going to steal a hoodie from Theo. Yeah, it’s a cliché, he knows it, but he wants one anyway. 

 

“Hey Liam?” Theo calls from the living room. “Wait a second, okay? I’ll give you something to wear. My most comfortable stuff is probably still in the drier, so don’t bother…” 

 

The thing is, it’s too late. 

 

Liam is standing in front of Theo’s open wardrobe, looking for a hoodie to wear, but what his eyes have landed on is something different. Unexpected. Tears burn in Liam’s eyes, but he can’t close them, can’t tear them away. 

 

“Liam?”

 

Liam doesn’t think he has anything left to say. 

  
  


**Step 8: Take flight**

 

“I can’t believe you,” Liam whispers, now finally looking at Theo instead of the wardrobe that’s only half filled with Theo’s clothes. The other half clearly doesn’t belong to Theo. Theo other half belongs to a woman. 

 

“Listen, Liam, this is not what it looks like, okay?” Theo tries, but his voice is weak, his eyes suddenly drawn to the floor, and anyway, Liam isn’t going to make the mistake of believing him. 

 

“You have a girlfriend,” Liam says.

 

If Theo wanted to preserve any chance of Liam being willing to talk about this, he would have to reply with a no quicker than he does. Liam knows he’s fucking done. 

 

“Technically, but it’s not-” 

 

Liam doesn’t want to hear it. 

 

“Where are my clothes, Theo?” he asks. They’re probably still wet after Theo put them in the washing machine, but Liam doesn’t care. He felt like a loser for signing up on a fucking dating app, but at least he didn’t do it with the intention of cheating on a girlfriend. Sure, he didn’t explicitly ask Theo if he was single, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay. Sleeping with him although Theo is in a relationship still counts as a big fat lie in Liam’s book. 

 

“Can you please let me explain this?” Theo begs. 

 

Liam doesn’t think so. He pushes past him and gets his damp jeans from the bathroom, then picks up his shirt on the living room floor. 

 

“Liam, please.”

 

There’s nothing to explain, Liam thinks. He feels dirty. He’s had sex with someone’s boyfriend. He literally let someone’s boyfriend fuck him multiple times. 

 

“I’m fucking done with you, Theo,” Liam says, ripping the front door open, checking his pockets for his keys, wallet and phone as he storms down the stairs. “You’re a fucking cheater.” Tears want to escape his eyes and spill down his cheeks, but he tries to hold them back at least until he’s out of Theo’s sight. 

 

Liam leaves Theo’s building behind and hopes that Theo will stop fucking following him. Fortunately, he finds that at least one of the cars parked in front of his own is gone. It still isn’t ideal, but he’s going to maneuver himself out of there somehow, and then he’s going to drive his crappy car back to Mason and Corey’s place and never see Theo again. 

 

“Liam!” Theo yells a few feet behind him. 

 

Liam quickens his pace, unlocks the car and gets inside, slamming the door shut. 

 

“Liam!” He can still hear Theo calling after him. 

 

Liam starts the engine, but Theo is suddenly in his passenger seat, barefoot and dressed in just a pair of sweatpants, his eyes puffy and red. No, Liam scolds himself, do not feel bad for this asshole. 

 

“Get out of my car,” Liam growls.

 

It clearly sounds like a threat, but Theo refuses to get the memo. Instead, he holds out a piece of paper to Liam. Liam doesn’t understand. Why can’t Theo just leave him alone? 

 

“Read this,” Theo whispers. 

 

Liam doesn’t want to. 

 

“Please.” 

 

No matter what the stupid note says, Liam won’t forgive him.

 

“Liam. Read it, please.” 

 

Liam doesn’t know why he does it, but he kills the motor nonetheless, unfolds the paper and starts reading the handwritten letter on it. 

 

_ Dear Theo,  _

 

_ I’m sorry it has to be this way. I just didn’t know how to tell you in person.  _

_ You know yourself how much harder it has gotten for the two of us to talk. I can’t remember the last time we didn’t end up fighting. And I don’t have it in me to fight with you about this.  _

 

_ I fell in love, Theo.  _

_ Yes, I’m sorry about it, but we both know the problem isn’t me falling in love with someone else. The problem is that we’ve fallen out of love first, you and me. We’ve been holding onto something that isn’t real anymore. I can’t keep doing that.  _

 

_ I won’t come back to you when I return from France. We’ll be better off without each other. Eventually, we’ll be happy again. We’ll be free.  _

 

_ Again, I’m sorry.  _

 

_ Veronica _

 

Liam looks up, finding tears in Theo’s eyes. 

 

“She broke up with you,” he concludes, whispering. 

 

Theo shakes his head. “She never gave it to me. She went to France for an internship two months ago. Things weren’t great between us for a long time before that. I guess some part of me wished the time apart would give us the chance of a new beginning. But she’s right. We got together when we were only kids. We’re not the same anymore. We don’t love each other the same anymore. I assume she wanted to give this letter to me before she left, but she didn’t. I found it by accident.” 

 

“Oh.” 

 

“Yeah. So I guess we’re not officially broken up, she and I, but it’s pretty clear it’s over, don’t you think?” 

 

“She doesn’t know that you found her letter, does she?” Liam asks. 

 

“No.” 

 

“So she doesn’t know you’re hooking up with other people?” 

 

“There are no other people,” Theo answers. 

 

“There’s me,” Liam argues. 

 

“Yes, you. Only you.” 

 

“That’s not the point,” Liam says. “She’s technically still your girlfriend, and she doesn’t know what you’re doing here with me.” 

 

“She fell in love herself, Liam, you’ve read it,” Theo defends himself. 

 

Liam shakes his head. “I’m sorry your relationship is ending like this. I’m sorry she couldn’t talk to you, or at least give you that letter. I really am. But you could have called her. You could have let her know you’d found it. You could have broken up with her. You could have ended things once and for all before you invited me to your place for sex. The place you lived in with her before she went to France, I assume?” 

 

Theo nods. Liam gives him back his letter. He feels sympathy for Theo, but it doesn’t change the facts. 

 

“You’re still a cheater, Theo,” Liam says. “Get out of my car. Please.” 

 

This time, Theo doesn’t fight him. A single tear rolls down his cheek but he gets out of the car and stays still and quiet as Liam finally gets to drive off. Finally, he gets to go home, but it feels nothing like it was supposed to. Liam doesn’t feel relieved or happy to get away. Something is weighing heavy at his heart, and his stupid eyes want to cry the same tears as Theo’s.

  
  


**Step 9: Get yourself arrested for his crime**

 

Before Theo happened, Liam was miserable only because of his own life. Now, he still doesn’t have a job, and he still lives on the couch in Mason and Corey’s living room where he can’t masturbate in peace. He still has no purpose in life, no plan for the future. 

 

On top of all that, he has a broken heart. He really shouldn’t. Liam spent less than twenty-four hours with Theo. It was just a one night stand with complications, nothing more. Liam doesn’t know why his mind keeps going back to the way Theo smiles or the feeling of his hands on Liam’s skin. He doesn’t know why he craves sitting underneath the ping-pong table in Theo’s living room again so much. 

 

It’s not the sex that he misses, although the sex was fantastic once they’d figured out their issue with the communication. It’s being close to Theo, feeling like a human person for once, feeling understood, feeling exactly right. It’s the dumb jokes and ping-pong battles over ice-cream and Theo’s voice and… 

 

The list goes on and on and on. Liam can’t sleep at night because the things on that list keep running through his head. He can’t eat, not even when Corey cooks one of his specialties. He can’t have fun at Mason’s birthday party either, not with all the alcohol in the world. It just doesn’t work on him right now.

 

Of course, with the way life works, when you already think you’re at your lowest, the universe needs to punch you in the gut once more. Liam is sitting in some corner while everyone else is celebrating his best friend when all of a sudden, people mutter his name and start pointing in his direction. And then Jordan Parrish is standing in front of him, deputy of Beacon Hills’ Sheriff’s department and Sheriff Stilinski’s right hand. 

 

“Sorry to bother you, Liam,” Parrish says, “but I’m afraid I’ll have to take you with me. You’re going to have to answer a few questions for us.” 

 

“What?” Liam can’t believe this. Very few things in his life so far have gone according to any sort of plan. He’s not exactly excelling at this adulting thing, but as far as he knows, he’s not a criminal. What the fuck do the cops want from him then? 

 

“Just come with me, alright?” Parrish sighs. “We don’t have to do this here.” 

 

Liam is pretty sure that this once, he has to be innocent, but just in case he’s missing something and he’s actually not, he follows Parrish to the car parked outside. “It’s nothing, it’s fine,” he says to Mason on their way out. He’s sure it’s nothing. Pretty sure. Or is he? 

 

“There’s been a break-in,” Parrish finally informs Liam. “At the Greenbergs’, if that means anything to you. I don’t know what business you could possibly have at that end of Beacon Hills, but we’ve had a witness coming forward and saying they saw you picking the lock. So I’m taking you to the station and you’re going to tell me exactly what you know about this.” 

 

Liam shakes his head in confusion. He doesn’t know any Greenbergs, and he sure as hell doesn’t know how to pick a lock. He wants to tell Parrish there has to be a misunderstanding of some sort, but then it hits him and everything suddenly becomes perfectly clear to him. 

 

Theo. 

 

What a damn fucking bastard. Now he’s ratting out Liam because Liam left? Because Liam called him out on being a cheater? And all of that while Theo was the one who came up with the idea that Liam could use his neighbors’ bathroom, and Theo was the one who picked the damn lock. The audacity. 

 

Liam balls his hands to fists and wills himself to breathe calmly. At the Sheriff’s station, he tells Parrish everything, from Theo being not so great in bed the first time to his car being barricaded to the flooded bathroom at Theo’s place to the break-in. Parrish sighs and picks up the phone to tell one of his colleagues to bring in Theo as well. 

 

“The two of you better settle on one matching story,” he says to Liam, who then has to wait around half an hour until Theo is escorted into the room, looking at Liam nervously as he sits down next to him. 

 

Absolutely everything about that not-just-one-time with Theo was surprising and unplanned. Being arrested for a minor crime he was merely an accomplice to was shocking, if Liam’s being honest, but what follows as they sit in an office opposite of Deputy Parrish to be interrogated is the absolute peak. 

 

“If you don’t mind,” Theo says to Parrish, “I’d like to explain everything to you.” 

 

Parrish nods, pressing the button on his recorder. “Go ahead then.” 

 

“So, I think the reason why we’re all here now,” Theo begins, exhaling deeply, “is that I fell in love.” 

 

Liam can’t wait to hear his attempt of bullshitting himself out of a fucking crime. 

 

“I’ve been a bit lonely lately, you know. I mean, I have some really awesome friends and all that, but I was still missing something. So I went on that dating app, and it was terrible. The people on there were so damn ridiculous. I was sure I wasn’t going to find anyone I’d like, but I was bored, so I just fooled around with it a bit, and then there was this one person that actually did interest me. I didn’t know why, but I wanted to get to know him. I invited him over to my place, we had amazing sex all night long-” 

 

Liam can’t suppress a sarcastic laugh. Theo gives him a sideways glance before he continues. 

 

“Fine, we had sex. In the morning, this guy wants to go, but his car is barricaded, and I’m thinking this must be a sign from the universe. He’s really gorgeous, you know. And I’m lucky enough to spend the whole day with him. I don’t think he liked me very much at first, but I grew on him. Meanwhile, I fell in love with him, a little deeper every time he smiled at me.” 

 

Liam doesn’t know what to say. He’s staring at his hand, his heart racing in his chest. He’s trying to understand what’s happening. 

 

“Are you ever going to get to the point?” Parrish wants to know. 

 

“That is the point exactly,” Theo argues. “I was stupid. I made a few mistakes. My bathroom got flooded and he needed to use it. So I figured we could go use the Greenbergs’. They were on vacation anyway. We didn’t do anything in their apartment, I swear.” 

 

“You left the window open,” Parrish comments. 

 

“Oh.” That was Liam. He’s the one who left the window open. 

 

“Really, I’m glad we did,” Theo declares. “Because I made some further mistakes. Far more serious ones, you see. So this boy I’d fallen in love with, he left. It was my fault entirely, and I couldn’t blame him. But he didn’t understand. He didn’t understand how much he already meant to me. That all the past stuff didn’t matter anymore. That he was everything I wanted. But he was gone. I had no number, and I didn’t know where he lived. I went back on that app that we’d met on, but he’d deleted his profile. I even called to ask if I could get his contact info, but of course they said they weren’t allowed to give that to me. I begged, but the nice lady on the phone insisted that unless I’m with the police, there’s nothing she could do for me. Which gave me an idea.” 

 

“So you called the Sheriff’s department just so you could talk to me again?” Liam asks, now directly facing Theo. What the fuck. What the absolute fuck. As if their story wasn’t crazy enough already. 

 

Theo shrugs. “What was I supposed to do, Liam? Forget you? Not an option.” 

 

Liam doesn’t know what to say. He can’t believe what Theo did just because he refused to part ways for good. He can’t believe that Theo claims to be in love with him. And he can’t believe how badly he wants it to be true. 

 

“You fell in love with me?” Liam’s voice is barely above a whisper.

 

“Fell so hard,” Theo mutters. 

 

“Jesus Christ,” Parrish sighs, rolling his eyes at them. “I’m not getting paid nearly enough for this. You guys better get out of here immediately. If I catch any of you committing a crime or using this department to solve your communication issues ever again, we’re going to have a serious problem, is that clear?” 

 

“Crystal clear,” Theo promises. 

 

Liam nods his head. “Perfectly clear. Sorry.” 

 

“Get out of here.” 

 

Parrish doesn’t look like he’s kidding, so Liam trails after Theo and out of the Beacon Hills Sheriff Station. His heart feels a bit heavy, and as they’re both standing on the sidewalk, free to go in whatever direction they want to, Liam hesitates. He doesn’t know what to do. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Theo tells him, turning around and searching for Liam’s eyes. “I’m an asshole. I’m sorry I got you arrested. I did it because I couldn’t just leave it at what happened before you left. I’m sorry I didn’t officially end things with Veronica before I slept with you. I have no excuse for that. I should have. It’s not like there was anything left to save between her and I. It was long overdue, but it was easy to ignore with her being at the other end of the world. I couldn’t have known I’d meet someone as great as you. I couldn’t have known I’d have actual feelings for someone again.” 

 

“I don’t know, Theo,” Liam says. He’s unsure. Hearing Theo say that he cares about him is doing things to Liam that he can’t ignore, but is it enough? “I don’t really want to get into something that started with you cheating on her.” 

 

“I know,” Theo nodded, averting his eyes. “You’re far too good for that. You’re a good person. I’m not. I’m selfish. You didn’t want to see me again and I couldn’t accept it. I found something so much more precious than I’d ever believed was possible for me and I couldn’t stand losing it again. That’s how selfish I am. I’m standing here right now with nothing to offer but my feelings for you, hoping that at least a part of you likes me back, that’s how selfish I am.” 

 

“A part of me does,” Liam has to admit. He could have kept it to himself if he wanted Theo to leave, if he wanted them to go their separate ways. Maybe he doesn’t want that. 

 

“Here,” Theo says, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. At first, it reminds Liam of the letter from Veronica he now thinks he shouldn’t have read, but Theo looks into his eyes and shakes his head. “No break-up letter this time, promise.” 

 

Liam was weak for Theo then and he’s weak for him now, so he unfolds the paper and finds his own face staring back at him. It’s the drawing Theo made of him when they were sitting underneath the ping pong table. Liam never saw the result. To be completely honest, he kind of forgot about it. He doesn’t even think Theo finished it back then. But now it is finished, showing Liam’s face with a soft smile tugging at his lips.

 

The Liam Theo has drawn for him isn’t the homeless, unemployed Liam with no plan and no future. He doesn’t look lonely, he doesn’t seem depressed. He looks happy and content and carefree. Liam wonders if this is how Theo sees him because he truly fell in love with him, or if this is how Liam was around Theo because he made him forget about all his misery. 

 

Maybe it’s a combination of both. 

 

“You were right, you know,” Liam says, “I didn’t like you very much at first.” 

 

Theo nods, his eyes on the ground. 

 

“But you were also right when you said you grew on me. You did. At some point I remembered it had been hours since I’d found my car barricaded, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to leave.” 

 

“Could have been a pretty cool story, right? How we ruined a perfectly adequate one night stand and started dating instead. I’m sorry I fucked that up, Liam. I really am.” 

 

“You think we would have started dating?” Liam wants to know. He can’t stop his heart from beating faster at that. He’s not crazy about the whole cheating thing, but he’s only human. He likes Theo back with more than just a part of him. 

 

“I was hoping for it,” Theo says with a gentle smile. “I assumed it was going to take a lot more ice cream to persuade you, but I was willing to make that happen.”

 

Liam looks at Theo, then down at the drawing of himself he’s holding in his hands. His eyes wander up to Theo’s face, and he simply has to smile. Not a lot of people can make him feel like this, but Theo can. 

 

“What are you thinking?” Theo wants to know. 

 

“I don’t know, I mean, I do like ice cream a lot.” 

 

“How much?” Theo asks. 

 

Liam shrugs and laughs. “A lot. You could maybe even say I love it.” 

 

Theo looks happy to hear it. “Listen,” he says, “how about I throw in dinner? Dinner and ice cream, and if you don’t feel like running in the other direction by then, I’ll run you a bath and let you read all my comic books. Deal?” 

  
  


**Step 10: Forgive him**

 

Liam rolls his eyes at the dig about the bath, but he has to smile. Who cares about the messy way he and Theo started out? He doesn’t want to walk away now. He doesn’t want to go back to the same old pre-Theo misery. 

 

What Liam wants is to see Theo smiling at him again. He wants to take Theo’s hand and hold it. He wants to pull Theo close and kiss him. He wants that dinner and that ice cream and yes, he wants the bath and the comic books too, but most importantly, he wants Theo. He wants to sleep next to him and wake up from the sound of his snoring. He wants ping pong tournaments and cuddles on Theo’s couch. He wants everything. 

 

“Deal,” Liam decides. 

 

Theo lets out a sigh of relief and closes the distance between them. Standing on the sidewalk in front of the Sheriff Station, they hold each other and breathe against each other’s neck. Liam has no doubt that this is the beginning of a beautiful, beautiful story. 

  
  


**Step 11 (Bonus Step): Rub it in your friends’ faces**

 

“The infamous Theo!” Mason greets Liam’s boyfriend as he opens the door. Liam has to roll his eyes at his best friend’s ridiculousness, but he can tell that Mason is impressed by the guy, and Corey is suspiciously quiet and red all over his face too. Liam definitely wins this round. 

 

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Theo replies politely, shaking both their hands before he lets Liam drag him inside and pull him in for a kiss. 

 

Because they agreed to take things slowly, Liam and Theo have only been out on dates or in Theo’s apartment for a couple of weeks, but now it’s time for Theo to meet Liam’s friends, especially so they won’t keep bugging him. 

 

“So you’re a real person after all,” Mason comments. Liam boxes him in the arm, but it doesn’t stop him from giggling. 

 

“Don’t listen to them,” Liam tells Theo and presses another kiss to his cheek. “Just come inside. Corey made dinner. He’s the best cook in the world.” 

 

“Impressive,” Theo laughs. 

 

“Fine, but he’s the best cook in Beacon Hills for sure.” 

 

“That,” Mason nods, “is true.” 

 

Sitting at Mason and Corey’s table for dinner feels differently with Theo there. The food tastes amazing and Liam is pretty sure Theo is making a good impression on his friends. Beneath the table, his fingers go looking for Theo’s hand to hold it. It’s been almost twenty-four hours since the last time they were cuddling, which is too long, because Liam is  _ that much _ in love with Theo. 

 

The first bottle of wine is almost empty when Mason suddenly asks all casually, “So how’d you two meet?”

 

Liam turns his head and looks at Theo. Theo does the same. They lock eyes and stare at each other as long as they can stand it before breaking out in uncontrollable laughter. 

 

“What?” Mason asks. “What’s so amusing?” 

 

“It’s kind of a funny story…” Liam begins, and although he tells his friends what happened, he leaves out some details. He knows they’re not going to get it the way only he and Theo do. It’s okay. It’s something that belongs to the two of them alone. 

 

“You seem happy,” Mason tells Liam as they clear the table a short while later. “Both of you. Together. But you alone too, you know. Really fucking happy.” 

 

“I am,” Liam nods, looking over his shoulder at Theo sitting at the table and smiling. “Really fucking happy.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Kudos and/or comments make my day! You may also yell at me on [tumblr.](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/flyde)


End file.
